


You Need Love

by katgryffindor



Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: AU, F/F, Music, cophine - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-15
Updated: 2014-12-28
Packaged: 2018-02-13 07:28:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2142330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katgryffindor/pseuds/katgryffindor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU in which Cosima and Delphine meet at Delphine's first performance at a bar Cosima frequents with a group of friends from work. M for some NSFW scenes. ((Inspired by Jenna Mason-Brase's song 'You Need Love')) Baby's first OB fanfic, please be gentle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part Un

Cosima walked into the tiny building marked "Tom's Cabin" with a group of friends from work that'd invited her to come watch someone new play at their favorite bar. The rest of her group: Iz, Alice, Will, and Scott went to find a table near the stage, but Cosima, however, desperately needed a drink; it had been a long day at work, and a seemingly even longer ride to the bar as Iz and Alice fought in the front seat. Everyone felt the tension between the two, they were always in competition at work, but Cosima thought she might have been the only one to interpret the tension as, like, 90% sexual.

She shook her head, _Oh man… “straight girls,”_ she thought, amused at their antics as an entire confused group.

Sliding onto a barstool beside a man who introduced himself as David, she ordered a beer from the bartender, and David had the same. While David tried to make conversation with her, she wondered vaguely who it was that would be playing tonight and tried to remember what Iz had said but gave up when their beers arrived in tall glasses in front of them.

"The only downside," Cosima began, "to tap-beer, is the terrible foam crap on top." She looked over at David, sipping the foam from the top of his beer and seemingly enjoying it without noticing her silent glance toward him.

When he realized what she said he spluttered out a hurried "Oh I can't stand it." She chuckled inwardly; it would seem David had a thing for dreadlocks and cat-eye glasses.

They talked about insignificant things, like the gloomy San Francisco weather and each other's work while they waited for whoever would be on stage that evening. But Cosima got bored rather quickly of David’s vapid conversation, and checking her watch, she realized she had been there about five minutes. Which was five more than she liked. So, in an effort to escape, she asked David how he felt about basketball, and when he replied enthusiastically, she nodded her head toward the tv above them.

But Cosima couldn't stand basketball, and when she was sure he was distracted enough not to notice her leaving, she did so with pleasure. She was, however, apparently wrong about David's level of distractedness, as he grabbed her by the wrist and pressed a napkin into her palm.

"Hey, wait! Call me sometime, yeah?" he looked hopeful, but Cosima really wasn't into it.

"Uh... sure dude, totally." was her reply. David, the genius he was, didn't notice how much she did _not_ mean it and Cosima left him smiling giddily to himself. She walked to her table and was thankful for the much less awkward conversation she would be able to make with her group from work.

* * *

 

Some time later, a tap on the microphone, some feedback from the speakers, and a cough from the MC turned their attention to the stage. By this time Cosima had gone through a few beers and was a bit tipsy.

Whispering to Scott on her left, "God I'm glad the show's finally starting! Probably been through, like, a couple birthdays already waiting for this thing, eh?" she let out a small giggle.

"Cosima," he replied, "We've only been here like forty five minutes." She laughed, even though it wasn't particularly funny.

"And now, for the first time on our stage, please welcome Delphine Cormier to the stage, ladies and gentlemen!" his introduction was met with a smattering of bored applause.

As he left, a tall, graceful woman Cosima imagined to be Delphine walked up the steps the way he came, with an acoustic guitar in one hand and a stool from the bar in the other. Cosima couldn't see her very well- Iz and the others had done a terrible job at finding a table near the stage, and she was, let's face it, drunk- but she could tell that Delphine was gorgeous.

She wore a leather jacket and a white tank top, a belt with a large buckle, jeans, and boots. Long, lithe limbs covered in milk-white skin and golden, bouncing blonde curls embedded themselves in Cosima's not-so-appropriate thoughts. Cosima smiled lazily. Delphine's every movement was poetry in itself and Cosima, on that note, wrote a few lines in her head dedicated to Delphine and drunken thoughts of her ivory skin on Cosima's. If Cosima was being honest with herself, it was mostly Delphine _poetically_ moving her tongue up and down the inside of Cosima's thigh, and a few other places. If her cheeks weren't already pink from the alcohol, Cosima would have blushed.

But if you weren't looking closely enough, the soft, angelic beauty of Delphine had been carefully masked by the sexy outfit she was wearing and the dark makeup around her eyes. She wasn’t going for beauty. It was obvious Delphine wanted to radiate sex instead, and it would seem that she succeeded, considering Cosima was not the only audience member staring at the tall blonde. She prowled across the stage like a model, or a big cat. And as if she could feel Cosima's eyes devouring her, Delphine made direct eye contact with the petite brunette and smiled wickedly. Cosima found herself taking in a shaky inhalation of smoke-tinted bar air. _Oh dear lord,_  she thought. Delphine's smile was... Cosima couldn't think of the words to describe or articulate much of anything at that moment, but she knew she wanted to see it again. When Delphine finished her seemingly hour-long strut to the middle of the stage, she set up her stool and adjusted the microphone to a comfortable position for herself and cleared her throat into it.

"Hello?" she began in an accent Cosima couldn't quite place, one that had been dulled by what she imagined was a few years in the states. "As you all know, my name is Delphine. And tonight, I will be performing a few original songs for you, but the first is a cover of a song I've always loved. You've probably all heard it. Sing along if you know the words." she finished her own introduction with a smile, and Cosima couldn't help but think _French. Her accent is French._  She couldn't tell, but she thought she might've been in heaven.

Scott elbowed her in her side at this point, “Got a crush on the talent, eh Cos?” Cosima realized she must have spoken aloud, and instead of apologizing to her group, she gestured to the stage and said “I mean look at her, she’s…. well she’s hot, Scott. Heh, that rhymed.” They all shared a silent laugh at Cosima’s drunkenness and returned to watching Delphine.

The first few chords of Just Like Heaven by The Cure were strummed out a bit nervously, from what Cosima could tell, but Delphine soon found her rhythm. She was really quite good, and this fact was only reiterated in Cosima's mind when she began singing. Her voice resonated beautifully in the smallish space and Cosima couldn't help but think that it sounded like bells. Hot, French bells.

_'Show me, show me, show me how you do that trick. The one that makes me scream,' she said. 'The one that makes me laugh,' she said, and threw her arms around my neck. Show me how you do it, and I promise you, I promise that I'll run away with you. I'll run away with you._

Cosima caught herself absentmindedly singing along rather louder than she would've liked. Alcohol making her sense of acceptable social gathering volume disappear. She didn't care though. Delphine's voice was like silk and Cosima just wanted to relish in how soft it was. And she did.

Her friends left halfway through Delphine’s performance, resolving that they should go home and get rest for the company's picnic early the next day. Cosima never went to that anyway, so she stayed behind, telling them all she would take a cab. She didn't stay because she wasn't going to the picnic, though. She stayed because Delphine kept looking at her, not just finding a face in the audience, either. She was really _looking_.


	2. Part Deux

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! this part is now updated and I rather like it. I think it's cute and adorable and Delphine gets rather flustered so enjoy! Remember to give Jenna Mason-Brase's "You Need Love" a listen periodically throughout the story because not only is it the literal best, it's also very relevant to the plot. js.

Delphine finished her set with a bow and walked off the stage, put up her guitar, and immediately started toward the bar, thinking about the rather enthusiastic brunette with the glasses that had been in the audience. Delphine always appreciated it when people participated with her while she performed -it helped kill some of the nerves.

Looking up at the many shelves full of various types of alcohol, Delphine found herself a bit overwhelmed. "Can I get, uh... Hmm. I am not sure what I want, honestly," she said with a nervous smile in the direction of the bartender, "how about you surprise me, s'il te plait, Tom. Uh, but for now, could you grab me a beer from the cooler?"

"Comin' right up Delphine." replied the tall man behind the bar with a wry smile, as he tossed her the beer and the device used to open it. Delphine found herself second-guessing her decision to let Tom choose her drink for her. "Hey good job up there." He called after her as she set the tool back on his counter and went to look for an open stool.

"Merci, Tom. Thanks." she said over her shoulder.

She slid onto a stool and set her arms on the bar in front of her, but it was absolutely disgusting, as she realized with a quick evaluation of the used napkins, empty beer bottles, and half-full glasses of God-knows-what surrounding her.

 _Tom needs somebody back there helping him,_  she thought, moving from the bar once she un-stuck her jacket sleeves from the counter. This time she sat at a table not far from the bar, but directly across from the dreadlocked girl who had been staring at Delphine from the audience.

A few minutes passed, and the girl left her table, presumably to get another drink from the bar and Delphine was left looking at the grungy brick wall in her place. _I_   _wonder if Tom has ever taken any of the flyers down from the bands playing here,_  she thought to herself, staring at the many advertisements that, much to her surprise didn't even begin to cover the entirety of the wall.

 _Probably not_ , she added with a chuckle. Tom had always been one of those weird, artsy-types that enjoyed symbolism and metaphors and all that, and she figured the wall was one of them. Delphine didn't understand him most of the time, or many of the references he made, and she put it down to his being emphatically American. She did however, understand the perfect slope of his jawline, and the swoop of his soft brown hair as he worked behind the bar.

A setting-down of drinks on the table in front of her promptly dragged Delphine from examining any further the thoughts drifting lazily through her head. With a nervous glance at her own drink, she was relieved to find that Tom had made her a Cosmo. She would never admit it, but she thoroughly enjoyed the girly drinks. She took a happy sip from her straw as the girl in front of her began speaking.

It was the plucky brunette from the audience, "I took the liberty of picking up your drink for you," she said.

”I noticed, uh... let me pay you," Delphine started with a wider grin than the situation probably called for, reaching into her jacket pocket.

"No, man, don't worry about it. Think of it as, like a tip. For playing a hella awesome show." The girl cut her off with a wave of her hand and a grin that spread easily across her face. It was dark in the bar but Delphine could see it with a clarity that was previously unknown to her.

"Oh... Merci. For the drink, and, uh, and the compliment as well." Delphine said, blushing slightly. She'd only been performing for a few months and it was still a bit strange to receive praise.

The girl nodded her head in a 'you're welcome' sort of way, dipping her head low and putting on a cute half-smile, "Yeah, loved it, but I especially liked your third song, you know the one about being-"

"-an ocean apart?" Delphine cut her off. "Yes, it is, well it's about my ex. In Paris." she said, remembering Mathieu and being glad now for the distance between them.

"Long distance never works, ya know?" The girl nodded again, in a knowing way this time. "Hey I never told you my name," she said sticking out her hand, "Cosima."

"Delphine. Enchanté." Delphine said, shaking the small girl's hand.

"Enchanté… So... Yeah, I'm gonna go grab a smoke. Uh, come with?" Cosima said with a little smirk, pulling her hand from Delphine's who continued hanging on to it after their names were exchanged.

"Sure, Cosima, I could use a nice little cigarette." Delphine replied, embarrassed and blushing furiously as she got up from the table and followed the smaller woman, thankful for the exceedingly dim light of the bar. She took the final drink of her Cosmo and set it on the bar as they walked toward the back door.

“Going for a smoke?” came a voice from the bar.

“Oui, Tom.” Delphine answered with a wave as they stepped out.

“ _He’s_ Tom?” Cosima said, “Remind me to compliment him on his killer taste in literature. That book is hella complex.”

“I will,” Delphine replied with a surprised smirk. Uncle Tom’s Cabin had been one of her favorite books in high school and she’d complimented Tom on the very same thing upon meeting him. She hadn’t pegged Cosima to be a classic literature type of girl, and she said as much to the bespectacled brunette.

At this point, Cosima dove headfirst into what Delphine assumed was a plot analysis of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Delphine took the opportunity to study the girl’s features in more detail. Standing under the light near the back door of the bar, moving her hands around animatedly whilst talking about the book, Cosima's features were visible in ways they had not been when they were inside.

Delphine noticed delicate and yet sharply traced eyeliner behind her glasses and a silver nose ring that lent a sort of sexy librarian look to the girl's young-looking features. She noticed the girl wore red lipstick that matched the long red coat Cosima wore and a dress that revealed a great deal of her cleavage which Delphine found herself trying desperately not to look at, and when she watched Cosima slow her speech to a stop and pull a joint from the little bag at her hip, Delphine was somehow, not surprised.

"Pot eh? I've always wondered about that stuff," she mused.

"Yeah well, this stuff is garbage, but one day I'll introduce you to my dear friend, white widow." Cosima said closing her eyes and taking a slow drag on her joint.

"And who is that?" Delphine asked, confused suddenly. For reasons unknown to her, Cosima burst into a fit of giggles and covering up of her mouth in an attempt to stop.

"What? Is it something that I have said?" Delphine asked, cheeks flushing and brows furrowing.

As her laughter finally died down Cosima was able to answer with an enigmatic, "You've got a lot to learn kid." throwing in a wink at the end of her sentence which Delphine found highly unnecessary, a bit confusing, and much to her surprise, kinda hot.

"I see." Delphine answered, more than a little put off. She took a long drag on her cigarette and ashes against the brick wall on her left.

"So you like The Cure?" Cosima asked with a smile playing against her lips, and another puff on her joint.

"Oui! Oh my goodness I love them." Delphine said, suddenly as animated as Cosima had been only a few moments ago.

Cosima giggled and nodded her head emphatically, "I agree one hundred percent, their music was, like, crucial to my childhood."

"Carrément! J'ai touj-" Delphine started, "I- I mean I've always loved them" she corrected herself, blushing at her use of French and taking a drag of her cigarette and looking down at her feet to cover up her embarrassment.

Cosima giggled, "It's totally fine, Delphine. I love them too."

"Uh, yeah, I'm getting a bit cold so uh, I'm gonna go inside." Delphine said "But, um... I'm playing again tomorrow night, would you like to meet me beforehand and help me pick out a few songs?"

Cosima's eyes lit up at Delphine's suggestion and she looked ready to jump on the opportunity, but her words attempted to relay a more laid-back outlook. "Um, I- sure um... See you at like, six? Or seven?"

"Sure Cosima. Au revoir." Delphine said as she grabbed Cosima’s hand and kissed it in farewell, leaving a print of her lips on the girl’s pale skin. With a smile over her shoulder and a wave for Cosima, she ran her hand through her hair and closed the backdoor to the bar behind her.

Delphine walked rather quicker than she would’ve liked through the bar and into her little Volkswagen Bug, and sliding behind the driver’s seat, she let out a small “merde," because she had no idea what had gotten into her, going all goo-goo eyes for a girl. That’d never happened to Delphine before. She knew about bisexuality and pansexuality and all the other -sexualities; she’d been a music major after all, and her manager was gay, but Delphine had never thought about any of them for herself. She allowed herself to silently ponder this, filled with teen-like angst and confusion.

And then she realized she never told Cosima if she wanted to meet at six or seven.

" _Putain de merde!_ "


	3. Cosima

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's in Cos's point of view and in the next chapter I'm gonna go over it in Delphine's point of view and continue from there (mostly because I really want to explore how flustered she gets (again. poor Del). Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay Guys! I finally wrote the third chapter....It is very filler-y, it is very “let’s have our protagonists get to know each other”. I’m toying with the idea of writing the next chapter as a replay of this chapter from Delphine’s point of view… let me know at the end if that’s a thing you would enjoy. Erm…. yeah. I think it’s kinda cute. Lemme know. (p.s. if there are any grammar errors or like weird capitalization in places let me know and I'll fix it in the morning. (I'm doing this at like 1 am so I'm a tired little kitten.)

When Delphine left, Cosima found herself leaning against the brick wall with her face stretching into a grin she couldn't control. She knew the wall was dirty, but honestly, she didn't care.  

The next day, Cosima got off work early because of the picnic and as soon as she got home she set to work deciding what she would wear. During the next two hours she probably tried on about twelve different outfits. When she finally settled on one she liked: a brightly colored crop top with jeans, a long sweater, and her favorite boots, she tried to calm her nerves with a blunt.  

"Oh my God. Is this like a date?" she wondered aloud before remembering she was alone in her apartment. "It can't be, I mean think about it, she's probably straight, Cos. Just calm down, take it slow." she reprimanded herself, again aloud.

She took a quick glance at her watch and grabbed her things, walking out the door, not at all any less antsy about meeting the blonde woman.

She got to the bar about five minutes later than she wanted to, finding Delphine sitting at a booth not far from the stage. Her back was to the door, so when Cosima tapped her on the shoulder she jumped in surprise. Turning around, Delphine's expression was one of confusion, but when she saw who it was, her confusion morphed into a goofy smile.  

"Cosima!" she said, getting up and pulling Cos into a hug. Cosima was shocked, she didn't even hug her back. She just stood there soaking into Delphine's warmth, the feel of her arms around Cosima's shoulders, the strawberry scent of her blonde curls, the perfume wafting from her neck that was a delicate mix of sharp and fruity.

Cosima thought there must have been apples in there somewhere, and another scent she couldn't quite place. When Delphine let go Cosima had to work to change the happily dazed expression on her face to anything other than that.  

"Are... Are you okay?" Delphine said, the confused look again falling over her angelic features.  

"Me? Oh yeah I'm fine I was just... Looking over that uh, poster over there. I thought I saw someone on it that looked, like, familiar ya know? I was wrong." Cosima ended her sentence with a short cough and a look in any other direction than the woman in front of her.  

"Oh," was Delphine's only input here.

She reprimanded herself silently,  _Good job, dorkus. She probably thinks you're like a total creep now._

It was Cosima's turn to speak, and she opted to take the easy way out with a "So, um... What do you.. Want to drink? I'm gonna head over to the bar."

"I don't like to drink before performing, Cosima, and even so,I would not allow you to pay for my drinks twice in a row." Delphine answered with an expression on her face that Cosima thought looked like she had been practicing for a while.

"Aw come on Del, haven't you ever heard of T-Pain? Lemme buy you a drank" she sang halfheartedly, hoping Delphine had heard the song and would at least giggle. In her head, she finished the line,  _'Imma take you home with me' Oh man... I wish._

"Non, I don't think I have. Perhaps after the show you can introduce me to the Tree Pain? And _I_ will be the one buying _you_ a 'drank'."

"Sure Delphine." Cosima said with a smile, sitting down as she suppressed giggles at the way Delphine's accent made a massacre of both T-Pain's name and the word drank.

* * *

 

Delphine and Cosima spent the next hour or so just talking. They spoke of important things, like their childhoods, and their best friends, and their passions. They found that they both had strong interests in science that were kept mostly secret for fear of being called out as a ‘nerd’. Delphine telling stories about learning of The Black Death and being intrigued by diseases ever since. Cosima talking about Darwin like he was a beloved grandfather.

They didn't stop talking until Tom gave Delphine her thirty minute warning and the blonde blushed profusely while talking to him.

“Delphine, is a little somethin’-somethin’ happening between you and Tom?” Cosima said, putting on a suspicious and playful look while struggling to mask the intense disappointment she felt impeding on her good mood.

“Quoi?” Delphine looked at her, dazed. “Tom? Non. Non, oh my gosh. I don’t- I mean…” The blonde sighed and threw her head into her hands. “Okay je l’avoue. I confess, I do have a bit of a crush on Tom, but we’re just friends. Platonic, I think, is the English.”

“Yeah, totally. I mean.. I can see it, though. he’s not ugly.” She said with a small cough and a desperate searching for anything else in the room to talk about. Her eyes landed on Delphine’s uncompleted setlist and brought it to Delphine’s attention. “Erm, Delphine, we never, ah, finished the setlist you’re supposed to be performing in like twenty-five minutes.”

“Mon dieu!” Delphine exclaimed. “Thank you, Cosima! We should definitely finish that.”

And so the two girls spent the next twenty minutes figuring out which songs Delphine was to perform that night.

They settled on five:

  1. A cover of I Will follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab For Cutie that Delphine had been working on that day

  2. Oceans, an original of Delphine’s

  3. Just Like Heaven, by The Cure, because they both agreed that the Cure was essential to any setlist

  4. Redemption Song, by Bob Marley, because he was one of Cosima’s favorites

  5. And finally, another original of Delphine’s called Sickness that they both really enjoyed when Delphine played it for Cos backstage




And while Delphine went up on the stage and performed like she was born there, Cosima was left to drink and ponder what exactly she did to deserve this. Falling for straight girls was something she always avoided, and yet here she was, looking up at the sun, and wondering how long it would be before she went blind.

* * *

After Delphine finished her set she disappeared for a couple minutes and Cosima figured she was backstage. When she finally emerged, and walked toward the bar where Cosima sat, Cos noticed she looked exhilarated. Cosima hadn’t been too worried about it, however; the effects of the couple of drinks she had were finally kicking in and she didn’t care much about anything at the moment.

 _Except, of course, the way Delphine’s hips swing when she walks… and the way her hair bounces… and the way she laughs and the way_ \- Cosima thought as Delphine walked ever closer to her.

“Hey Rockstar,” the brunette said playfully, punching Delphine’s arm as she sat down next to her.

“Oh me?  Non, I would hardly call that ‘rocking’.” she replied, coy, and out of breath. “Although, I did do pretty well eh?” she added with a giggle.

“Hell yeah you did!” Cosima said, grinning at the blonde girl’s expression, which was still one of complete and utter joy. She’d heard that to artists, performing was like a drug, but she’d never realized it was true until she saw how energized Delphine was. “Okay, now. Let me buy you a 'drank'.” Cosima said.

“Cosima, I have already told you, I will not allow you to pay for my drinks twice in a row!” Delphine said, still smiling like she had been when she first got off stage.

“Do you nothing of tradition, woman?” Cosima said, faking horror and putting on a terrible british accent, “I shall pay you in recompense for the thrilling show you’ve just put on and you shall protest no longer! ”

Delphine looked defeated at this, but at the same time she looked extremely amused at Cosima’s antics, and she probably didn’t put much thought to her honor. “D’accord.” was all she said as she fought to hold off the giggles at Cosima’s sudden silliness.

“Oh, plus I’m a few drinks ahead of you and that’s like, hella unfair. And, hey, I almost forgot,” Cosima said, pulling her phone from her back pocket, “While I get the drinks, you’re gonna watch this. It’s a valuable piece of modern American pop culture that you have been missing out on, my friend. And I choose to believe it is the sole reason you didn’t get my joke earlier.” she pulled up T-Pain’s Buy You A Drank on youtube and handed her iPhone to Delphine while she ordered the drinks.

By the time the song was almost over, Cosima had come back to their little corner of the bar with the drinks and she saw that Delphine was definitely engaged in the song, singing along to the simple chorus and smiling.

“Do you get it now?” Cosima said, setting down the blonde’s glass of Rinquinquin in front of her. When they had been discussing each other's likes and dislikes earlier in the evening Delphine had mentioned that the peach liquor was her favorite. Cosima had never tried it, and she went for the shock factor in her choice of drink, telling Delphine her favorite drink was Sex At My House. She definitely got her desired effect, as Delphine blushed and looked down at the setlist, continuing to try and decide between two songs.

“Oui” Delphine said. “I do get your joke now Cosima. Am I to understand you want to “take me home with you?” she asked casually.

However, Cosima only heard the words and not the intonation and she immediately blanched. “Erm.. what, uh, what exactly do you mean?” she spluttered after gulping down the drink she had just taken.

“Well I assume to hang out. We are friends now, no?” the blonde asked innocently.

Relief swept over Cosima, “Uh that’s not what I meant, but yeah, we can totally hang after this. I don’t have work tomorrow.”

“Sounds like fun.” Delphine said, with a smile and bumped her glass against Cosima’s in celebration of great performances and new friendships.

 

 


	4. Delphine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like I said in the notes on the last chapter, this chapter's mostly a replay of the last but from Delphine's POV. Then we move on and get some drunkenness and some frustration/shenanigans because of that. (And if I have enough time, maybe some smut (today if you're lucky.)

The next day, Delphine worked on a cover of I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab For Cutie because she had been listening to that song quite a lot recently, and she really enjoyed it. (She refused to think Cosima had anything to do with it.) When she was satisfied with it, she rehearsed it a few times to make sure she would remember the lyrics and that it was perfect.

She headed down to the bar at five-thirty, not wanting to miss Cosima if the girl decided that showing up at six would be better than at seven. She found herself quite disappointed when the dreadlocked girl was not sitting at the bar or in a booth. Delphine decided to sit in her favorite booth, the one closest to the stage, while she waited for her companion.

When she first sat down, Delphine found herself looking up at the door whenever somebody new walked through it. She soon moved to the other side of the booth, her back now facing the door to avoid the constant disappointment that came with looking up every five minutes hoping to see Cosima and not.

So, when she felt somebody behind her tap her shoulder, she was cautiously optimistic. "Cosima!" she said, getting up and pulling Cos into a hug. Delphine pointedly ignored how very nice it was to feel Cosima flush against her skin. How pleasant the small brunette's perfume was. Those things didn’t matter to her. (And yet even inside of her own head the statements sounded veritably weak.) When she realized Cosima wasn’t hugging her back, Delphine quickly let go of her.

_Mon Dieu, Delphine, what are you doing? You have known the girl barely a day._

"Are... Are you okay?" Delphine said, trying to convey concern for Cosima rather than the mix of hurt and embarrassment she really felt in her expression.  

"Me? Oh yeah, I'm fine I was just... Looking over that, uh, poster over there. I thought I saw someone on it that looked, like, familiar ya know? I was wrong." Cosima ended her sentence with a short cough and an uncomfortable look over to the bar, then once more to the brick wall to their left. They both sat down for no reason but to have something to do rather than stare at each other.

"Oh," Delphine couldn’t think of anything to say to reply to Cosima’s vague answer.

She reprimanded herself silently, _This is terrible. You just **had** to hug the poor girl didn’t you Delphine._

After a few moments of thick silence that hung in the air between them like a dense fog, Cosima finally spoke up, "So, um... What do you.. Want to drink? I'm gonna head over to the bar."

Delphine wished fervently that she could say yes, alas, "I don't like to drink before performing, Cosima, and even so, I would not allow you to pay for my drinks twice in a row." She had been flattered the night before, but she didn’t think it tasteful to keep allowing Cosima to pay for their drinks.

"Aw come on Del, haven't you ever heard of T-Pain? Lemme buy you a drank"

At this point, Delphine was thoroughly confused, but she tried her best not to let the other girl see that. "Non, I... don't think I have. Perhaps after the show you can introduce me to the Tree Pain? And I will be the one buying you a 'drank'."

Delphine blushed once more, realizing too late that Cosima had said T-Pain

"Sure Delphine." Cosima said with a smile and a few suppressed giggles. Delphine was sure she was making a fool of herself, which was extremely rare. She usually had such a firm grasp on every aspect of herself, but since she met Cosima, it seemed that she was no longer the one in control of her thoughts and actions.

_What on Earth is happening to me?_

* * *

Delphine thought she had fared well talking to Cosima, that is until Tom walked over to their booth. It was one thing to function around Cosima, who confused her and made her feel lightheaded and made it hard for her to speak. However, now that Tom was standing in front of her, saying something about the time, Delphine found that she reacted to their combined presence in a rather embarrassing fashion. She blushed, and spluttered and found herself back in high school, trying desperately to speak to the captain of the rugby team and failing almost as desperately.

“Delphine, is a little somethin’-somethin’ happening between you and Tom?” Cosima said, when Tom finally walked away (something Delphine had never thought she would be quite so thankful for)

“Quoi?” Delphine looked at her, recovering for a moment. “Tom? Non. Non, oh my gosh. I don’t- I mean…” the blonde sighed and threw her head into her hands, taking a deep breath and trying again. “Okay je l’avoue. I confess, I do have a bit of a crush on Tom, but we’re just friends. Platonic, I think, is the English.”

“Yeah, totally. I mean.. I can see it, though. He’s not ugly.” Cosima said, her tone and expression, seemingly strained. She looked down at the table, and her features morphed into those of someone who has just remembered that they’re supposed to be doing something highly important. It turned out to be an appropriate expression “Erm, Delphine, we never, ah, finished the setlist you’re supposed to be performing in like twenty-five minutes.”

“Mon Dieu!” Delphine exclaimed, having completely forgotten that she was performing that night. “Thank you, Cosima! We should definitely finish that.”

And so the two girls spent the next twenty minutes figuring out which songs Delphine was to perform that night.

They settled on five:

  1. The cover of I Will follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab For Cutie that Delphine had been working on that day

  2. Oceans, an original of Delphine’s that she had performed the night before

  3. Just Like Heaven, by The Cure, because they both agreed that the Cure was essential to any setlist

  4. Redemption Song, by Bob Marley, because he was one of Cosima’s favorites and Delphine found herself unable to say no to the girl, even though Bob was slightly out of her comfort zone

  5. And finally, another original of Delphine’s called Sickness that made Cosima’s face light up like a small child when Delphine had played it for her backstage. That made at least two people that enjoyed the song that much, Delphine being one of them.




Delphine went up to the stage after being introduced to the crowd by the M.C. and gave an introduction of her own. Then she began to play her first song:

_Love of mine, some day you will die, but I'll be close behind. I'll follow you into the dark, no blinding light or tunnels to gates of white. Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark. If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied, illuminate the "No"'s on their vacancy signs. If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks, then I'll follow you into the dark._

She found herself singing to Cosima for the better part of her setlist, and for the first time that night, it was something that felt as natural to her as breathing. It wasn’t strange or awkward, and Delphine found that more terrifying than the feelings blossoming inside her chest.

* * *

 

After Delphine finished her set she went backstage to put up her guitar, and then to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face and calm down. It worked, but only briefly. As she walked back into the main area of the bar, she found her breathing and her heart returning to the pace they had been at when she first exited the stage, and it had nothing to do with the rush of performing.

“Hey Rockstar,” the brunette said playfully, punching Delphine’s arm as she sat down next to Cosima.

“Oh me?  Non, I would hardly call that ‘rocking’.” She replied, frantically trying to calm herself. “Although, I did do pretty well, eh?” she added with a giggle.

“Hell yeah you did!” Cosima said, grinning. “Okay, now. Let me buy you a 'drank'.” Cosima said.

“Cosima, I have already told you, I will not allow you to pay for my drinks twice in a row!” Delphine said, still smiling like a complete and utter idiot.

“Do you nothing of tradition, woman?” Cosima said, faking horror and putting on a terrible British accent, “I shall pay you in recompense for the thrilling show you’ve just put on, and you shall protest no longer! ”

Delphine gave up at this, realizing she would not talk Cosima into letting Delphine pay for the drinks. “D’accord.” was all she said as she fought to hold off the giggles caused by Cosima.

“Oh, plus I’m a few drinks ahead of you and that’s like, hella unfair. And, hey, I almost forgot,” Cosima said, pulling her phone from her back pocket, “While I get the drinks, you’re gonna watch this. It’s a valuable piece of modern American pop culture that you have been missing out on, my friend. And I choose to believe it is the sole reason you didn’t get my joke earlier.” she pulled up T-Pain’s Buy You A Drank on YouTube and handed her iPhone to Delphine while she ordered the drinks.

At this, Delphine found herself watching a lyric video and rather enjoying herself. By the time Cosima returned, the song was nearly over and Delphine had learned probably quite a bit more about the brunette than Cosima had intended.

“Do you get it now?” She asked, setting down the blonde’s glass of Rinquinquin in front of her. When they had been discussing each other's likes and dislikes earlier in the evening, Delphine had mentioned that the peach liquor was her favorite. She told the other girl it reminded her of home, hot summer nights and the streets of Paris. It did. When it was Cosima’s turn to supply her favorite drink she had told Delphine that her go-to drink was Sex At My House, but she always liked to try new things.

“Oui” Delphine said. “I do get your joke now Cosima. Am I to understand you want to “take me home with you?” she asked as casually as she could.

“Erm.. what, uh, what exactly do you mean?” Cosima asked after taking a drink.

“Well, I assume to hang out. We are friends now, no?” The blonde asked, hoping from some place deep inside her that they would do much more than hang out. Delphine took a large drink from her cup to mask the blush that spread across her cheeks.

“Uh that’s not what I meant, but yeah, we can totally hang after this. I don’t have work tomorrow.”

“Sounds like fun.” Delphine said, wondering about Cosima’s vague answer, and with a smile, bumped her glass against Cosima’s in celebration of great performances and new friendships.

* * *

A few drinks later, the women decided to call a cab and head down to a nearby Redbox. Those things always had a bunch of new movies in them, and Delphine was excited about seeing a movie Cosima kept calling “hella rad”.

The cab pulled up outside of Cosima’s apartment complex, and Delphine thought it must have been at least midnight, although she didn’t care much, especially considering she was dreading walking through the pouring rain that had started when they left the redbox. In the amount of time it took them to walk across the street and to Cosima’s building, they were soaked. While they walked unsteadily up the three wet flights of stairs to Cosima’s apartment, Delphine found herself watching the sway of the smaller girl’s hips more openly than she would have while sober. She tried to amend this statement in her head, tried to convince herself that she wouldn’t be looking up at Cosima’s bottom, but

_Face it, Delphine, even sober, Cosima has un cul tres bon._

When they reached the door, Cos turned around to tell her something Delphine couldn’t quite bring herself to care about, instead she watched the movement of her hands, the water running down Cosima’s face, the squint of her eyes as she strained to see Delphine in the dim hallway light.

Clearly, though, Cosima expected a response, “Oh, um, yes?” Delphine tried.

“You weren’t paying attention at all, were you?”

“Oh, um, yes?” She repeated herself.

“Come on, you big dumb puppy.” Cosima said with a smile.

As they walked in, Cosima told Delphine that she could put in the movie and get comfortable on the couch; Cos was going to get a blanket, and did she want some dry clothes?

“Uh, oui, I would like some. Whatever you have.” Delphine called to the back of the small apartment while she moved around Cosima’s living room, taking her boots off by the door and inserting the disc into Cosima’s player, walking around and looking at the girl’s decorations. After about five minutes, Cosima emerged from her bedroom dressed in a tank top and some baggy sweats with a pair of shorts and an old T-shirt in her hand that were clearly meant for Delphine.

Normally, Delphine wouldn’t have approached the situation in such a way, but there was just enough alcohol in her system to make her forget she didn’t normally strip in front of people she barely knew. She grabbed the clothing from a distracted Cos right as she was asking about whatever preview was playing at the moment. Delphine shrugged her wet jacket off one shoulder and caught it with the opposite arm, then she set to work on her pants button. When she had scraped her soaked jeans off of her legs, she moved to bring her blouse over her head, but she didn’t take into account her jewelry or her wet hair or the fact that both were rather easy to get something caught on.

“Uh, Cosima… I wonder if you could-?” Delphine asked.

It took Cosima a while to respond, and Delphine wondered why, “Uh yeah let me help you out there, Del.” she said and Delphine felt her lurch forward to help her out of her cloth prison.

She ignored the goosebumps that rose along the path Cosima’s warm fingers took along her clammy back and arms, but Cos didn’t. Thankfully, she blamed them on the temperature of the room, “Aww, sorry man, I know it’s cold, just gimme a second, your uh, your necklace is almost untangled.

Delphine’s legs were getting tired, but as she moved to adjust the distribution of the weight over them, she couldn’t see, and she tripped.

“Woah, Delphine!” Cosima exclaimed, steadying the taller woman with two deliciously warm hands on either side of her ribcage and Delphine almost moaned at the contact. Instead, she shivered again, which prompted Cosima to finish with her shirt and necklace and allow Delphine to dress in the clothes she had brought her.

Upon inspection, Delphine decided she looked alright even though the shirt was a smidge too short and another too tight. She plopped down on the couch and waited for Cosima to do the same. When she did, she grabbed the remote off of the couch next to her and pressed play on “The Amazing Spiderman 2.”


	5. Popcorn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OKAY GUESS WHO WROTE FIC INSTEAD OF DOING THEIR HOMEWORK? ME. I regret nothing. this is really cute and I tease y’all a bit but like I make it better. And then like idk I’m apologizing in advance okay? not for this chapter for the next ones, ahahaha, sorry. They watch movies and eat popcorn at Cosima’s hizouse.

They sat in silence for the most part, occasionally pausing the movie to talk about how cool they thought something was or to express how deeply they wished they had awesome super powers. Peter was swinging from a web into the middle of traffic when suddenly, a loud growl from one of the women’s stomachs could be heard.

Cos paused the movie, giggling, and looking at the beautiful French sunflower to her left “Was that me or you, blondie?”

Delphine looked down at her abdomen and then back up at Cosima, “It was not me, Cosima. It’s weird… I drink kind of often, working at the bar as I do, but you know what? I am  _never_  this hungry when I sober up. I could kill for some popcorn.” She punctuated her sentence with a small smile in the brunette’s direction.

“Mmmm. Okay, your wish is my command. I’ve got some in the kitchen” Cosima said, hopping up from the couch, dreads swinging in time with her hips as she walked into her small kitchen.

Her eyes narrowed behind her glasses, searching for the popcorn that Delphine wanted, when she remembered,

_It’s on the top of the fridge. Fuck._

Normally, she’d just get a chair and grab it but she couldn’t do that in front of  _Delphine_! She’d look so… so  _foolish_. As if on cue, Delphine waltzed into the kitchen on the legs of a goddess and stood there, looking around until her questioning gaze landed on Cosima, who was blatantly checking her out at this point.

_God, she looks so hot in my clothes._

“Um, Cosima… I thought you were getting the popcorn?” she asked, quietly, not noticing Cos’s lecherous stare as she looked around some more.

“Uh… yeah,” Cosima chuckled nervously, “funny thing about that is I can’t seem to find the, uh, the popcorn…” She smiled and shrugged apologetically at the tall woman, looking behind her and hoping she wouldn’t-

Cosima sighed internally.  _Nevermind_ , she thought.

By turning around, Delphine did exactly what Cosima was hoping she wouldn’t: look at the top of the fridge.

“You couldn’t find it, huh?” Delphine confirmed as she pulled a packet of kernels from the box.

“Oh, wow! I totally forgot it was up there!” Cosima said as she chuckled and blushed furiously.

“You couldn’t reach it, could you, Cosima?” Delphine said with a hand on her hip and an eyebrow raised.

In response, Cosima pretended not to hear her, “So yeah, if you could just give me the-” she said as she reached for the popcorn in Delphine’s hand, “popcorn.” she finished awkwardly as her attempts were met with failure.

“What popcorn?” was the response she got as Delphine yanked it up into the air, “If it’s up here you can’t see it, non?” she asked as she moved the popcorn from hand to hand as Cosima tried to jump and steal the popcorn  from the taller woman’s grasp.

“Come on Delphine! No fair” Cosima pouted. Delphine seemed to be enjoying herself but Cosima had been a victim of this game far too many times. On top of that, she was  _hella_  hungry.

“What’s wrong Cosima? Did you want this popcorn? Well just reach up and grab it. Oh! Pauvre petit chiot, you  _can’t_.” Delphine said with the most mischievous grin on her face. Said grin quickly turned shocked and terrified as Cosima switched tactics, tickling the blonde.

“ _You’re_  the puppy.”

“Oh! Cosima!” Delphine yelled in response to Cosima’s onslaught, doubling over to protect her belly. She backed up into the fridge and before Cosima knew it she was pinning the taller girl’s right arm to the fridge with her left, and taking the popcorn out of her hand, laughing at the dazed look on the blonde’s face.

“Gotcha,” she said in her lowest, most sultry voice, pecking the blonde on her nose. At that, she turned around quickly

_Shit, Cosima! What the hell? You-_

but before she had time to finish her thought or even to say “holy watershed!” Delphine was grabbing her by the arm, flipping her so they were once again face to face.

“Gotcha.” Delphine repeated, and Cosima was as surprised as anybody to find Delphine’s lips were on hers in the next second.

The kiss was chaste at first- gentle, and hesitant. Their lips worked in tandem, and Cosima’s only thoughts were Delphine’s soft lips. A hint of peach flavor and her left hand entangling itself in the gold flowing from Delphine’s head. She let her tongue venture out of her mouth and slide across Delphine’s lips, seeking entrance. When it was granted, the kiss became decidedly  _un_ chaste. The popcorn had long since dropped from her right hand and it now lay forgotten on the floor as she brought her hand up to Delphine’s breast, and moving her lips from Delphine’s-

“Cosima?” Delphine asked, looking at her with a concerned expression. “Are you  going to put the popcorn in the microwave or…?”

_Did I **really**  just… Oh my God._

“Um yeah Delphine. obvs.” she supplied.

“You didn’t have to tickle me you know, I would have given it to you, had you simply  _asked_.” Delphine said, and Cosima thought she had to have been imagining how close to her neck Delphine’s lips were and the subtle caress of her shoulder Delphine threw in as she walked away.

_It’s almost as if she knows she’s **killing**  me._

* * *

 

They sat down once again on the couch, this time with freshly popped popcorn in a bowl that sat between the two. When Cosima noticed this, she looked for any excuse to remedy the situation (the situation being that there was room between her and Delphine). So, when the air conditioning turned on she moved the popcorn, cuddled up to Delphine, and stole a large portion of the blanket she was using to cover herself.

“I’m cold,” was the only answer she gave the dirty look Delphine shot her. “Here’s the popcorn,” she said, as she handed the silver bowl to the woman she was practically laying on. As the bowl changed hands so did a tiny electric shock.

“Ahh!” Cosima yelped as Delphine giggled.

“I’m sorry Cosima. You just  _electrify_ me. That was a good pun, non? Usually you are the cheeky one but, I mean, eh?” she said eyebrows raised in a sort of _‘Am I right? Or am I right?’_   fashion, smiling in response to the brunette’s withering expression.

 _I wish I really could electrify you._  Cosima thought.

“What? Wait, Cosima, do you-?” Delphine asked.

 _OH MY GOD I SAID IT OUT LOUD_ rushed through her head countless times before she finally found what it was she wanted to say. And even then, she sputtered and choked, trying to say something, _anything_  to Delphine.

And this time, when she felt the other woman’s lips warm against her own, she knew she wasn’t imagining it. She could feel the warmth radiating from Delphine’s body, taste the popcorn and traces of alcohol on her tongue. She shivered when Delphine let out a breath from her nose.

Cosima moved her hand to the base of the other woman’s skull and pulled Delphine closer to herself, then tilted her head to gain better access to her neck. Delphine quickly obliged, moving her head to the side and gasping in anticipation when Cosima ran her tongue from the hollow at the base of her neck to her earlobe, blowing on the trail of saliva and sending shivers down her spine before coming back down on her earlobe and suckling and biting on it. She then slowly made progress from the blonde’s neck to her collarbone, and when Cosima moved her hand to Delphine’s waistband and slid it up her torso to remove the shirt she wore, Delphine’s soft accent hit her ears like a wave on the beach.

“Cosima,” she gasped, out of breath, and Cosima couldn’t tell if she was breathless from want or something else. Fear? Perhaps. She wondered if it wasn’t simply a mix of the two. These thoughts, however, were rather outnumbered by thoughts of how acutely turned _on_ she was by the sound of her name slipping from Delphine’s mouth.

“Uh yeah Delphine? Kinda busy here.” she looked at the blonde with a wide grin, showing off her pearly whites and leaning in to slowly bite Delphine’s neck.

It took the blonde a while to do anything other than gasp and moan as Cosima’s teeth could still be felt in the sensitive space between her collarbone and neck for long moments after she had relented. “Could- could…” She was still having some difficulty framing her words, “I wonder if we could maybe just, um,  _‘make out’_  I think is the term…? I- I want to..  _you know_ …. it’s just.. um, I don’t think I’m.. ready… for-for that…”

_Oh my goodness you poor little baby doe. With your big eyes and your trepidation and your sexy-_

“Wow, I’m such an ass. I didn’t even ask you.” She spoke, derailing that train of thought and pulling away from Delphine, as much as she wished she didn’t have to. “No I- I fully understand. We can move at whatever pace you find most comfortable. I won’t bite.” She said, trying to comfort Delphine, turning on a nearby lamp.

“Mais, Cosima, you just did.” Delphine said, angling her neck so Cosima could have a clear view of her artwork.

“We’ve been over this Delphine.  _I’m_  supposed to be the cheeky one!” she said, as she resumed tickling Delphine as she had in the kitchen.

“Ahhh! Cosima! You-” the rest of Delphine’s sentence was muffled by her tormentor’s mouth on hers.

And so, until they fell asleep, Cosima and Delphine remained in each other’s arms.

 


	6. Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

Delphine woke before Cosima the next day at around two and was at first, frightened. When she recalled her surroundings from the night before, she was still freaking out a little bit. She glanced down and Cosima was effectively wrapped around her, but she seemed to be sleeping soundly. Disentangling her limbs from the smaller girl’s, she slowly got up from the couch and set out in search of a pen and paper.

“Good morning Cosima, sorry, but I had to leave. Plans. I’ll call you.” She made up hastily as she called herself a cab, gathered her things and left with no intention of calling Cosima that day. The sunlight screamed profanities at her as she stood on the sidewalk outside of Cosima’s apartment complex. She found herself quite relieved when the cab pulled up beside her.

As she slid into the backseat, the cabbie, a heavy-set, sweaty man in his late thirties turned around and asked her the usual cabbie question, “You look like shit, lady.” Well, after he pointed that out to Delphine. “Where to?” He asked finally.

"Ah, to that new apartment complex, ah…. on Broadway.” Delphine said, trying her best to recall the name of her manager’s new place.

“Oh, the DYAD? That place is fuckin’ _great_ ” the cabbie enthused.

“Yes, there.” said Delphine as she plugged in her headphones, not wishing to have a conversation with the frank, smelly man.

She laughed at what a coincidence it was that Just Like Heaven should be the first song to play.

* * *

 

“Oh my God, you _what_?” said Aldous as he poured her a cup of coffee to remedy her harsh headache.

They had watched a movie and discussed future venues for Delphine, but she needed to talk to him about Cosima.

“I kissed a girl, Aldous. But the problem is,” she dropped her voice to barely above a whisper, " _I don’t know if I liked it or not._ ”

“Oh honey. But then, why on Earth did you kiss her?” He said, disbelief framing his face.

“J’ai été un peu ivre, Aldous.” She said, not bothering to translate. Aldous had known her long enough to know that she meant she was drunk.

“Pauvre petit chiot.” He replied, “I told you to be careful, Delphine.” She winced at the memory from the night before that the nickname brought with it.

“I don’t know Aldous. This is all so _confusing_!” She said as she plopped down on his couch, more confused than she’d ever been.

Delphine felt her phone vibrate just as Aldous replied to her, “Well, you’d better figure it out, Delphine. I've got things to do.”

“Is one of those things Henrik?” She asked playfully, laughing at the blush flooding at his cheeks.

“Um, just... just go. I need you to get out, like five minutes ago.” He said, rushing her out of his door.

Delphine laughed as she walked back down to the street, pulling her phone from her pocket to see who had texted her.

It was Tom, _Hey, Delphine. Why don’t you come down to the bar for a little while tonight? I know you’re not performing, but I thought you could hang out for a while._

Delphine was reminded of one thing that wasn’t confusing. She called another cab and headed down to Tom’s Cabin.

* * *

When Delphine walked through the door of the little bar, she was feeling like forgetting, and Tom was just the man she wanted to forget with. She was acutely aware of the way his muscles rippled under his white button-up shirt, and she couldn’t help but notice the way his cologne wafted her way, like an invitation to do the worst of things with the man. The only reason she didn’t was sitting in her pajamas on her couch, crying and eating rocky road ice cream because Delphine hadn’t called or texted and she was confused as hell.

Four drinks later, she was feeling a lot less guilty about the small brunette and leaned across the bar at the ruggedly handsome one that was a drink behind her, gesturing that he should come closer with her index finger.

“Do you have any… help that you could call?” She whispered seductively in his ear, enjoying the way his throat constricted and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down at her question. Delphine saw a flash of Cosima, and she pushed the woman to the back of her mind. She wasn’t cheating; _Cosima and I aren’t even together._

“Er, yeah... I- I’ll call Sarah.” He spluttered, obviously reading her intentions. As he left to use the phone connected to the wall, she gathered her things, preparing to leave. He came back to where she was sitting and leaned over the bar with his elbows.

“She sounded pretty pissed off, but she’ll be here in five minutes.” He said. What did you… have in mind?” He asked with a devilish smile playing across his lips. Delphine could tell he knew exactly what she wanted to do. He just wanted her to say it. She would have, but Cosima appeared again, begging her not to.

“I _want_ ,” she started in her most breathy voice, “another drink, Tom.” She finished.

He gave her a withering look, but refilled her glass.

Sarah arrived shortly after that, at least, it was a relatively short, disgruntled girl whom Delphine assumed was Sarah. She looked a lot like Cosima, and Delphine found herself pointedly not making eye contact with her.

“Oy! _Tom!_ Is ‘is the reason you called me down? So you could go shag her?” Sarah asked, obviously irritated at the man.

“Right-o, Sarah. So, I’m gonna need you to cover for me tonight.” Tom said. “There’s a raise in it for you if you do a good enough job.” He smiled at the girl.

“Reckon it won’t take you all night there, Romeo.” Sarah mumbled, but Tom was too busy grabbing his coat to pay her any mind.

At this juncture, he grabbed Delphine by her hand and led her from the bar. “Ah, bonsoir, Sarah!” She called as they left, fighting the urge to yank her hand from Tom’s.

As she got into Tom’s car, she heard Cosima’s voice inside her head. _Delphine, please don’t._

“Where to, Delphine?” Tom said over his shoulder as he backed out of his parking spot.

“Ah, I was thinking we could go into your place, Tom.” She said, forcing herself to run her hand over the muscles of the arm that was stretched over the back of her seat.

_Why is this so hard, Delphine? Tom is hot. You have been attracted to him since you started performing here, he obviously wants you too. So what is the problem?_

_Cosima,_ she thought, answering her own question. She tried her best to shove thoughts about the girl away.

“I like your thinking.” Tom said as he stared openly at her breasts, and it made her sick.

* * *

 

They got to his house, and Delphine wasn’t surprised. It reflected the same grungy aesthetic that the bar did. Tom got out of the car and walked to the door, unlocking it and going inside while Delphine walked slowly up toup the steps to his porch. When she entered the home, she was met by the scent of cigarettes. Tom was in the kitchen, pouring himself and Delphine a drink. He downed his rather quickly, and Delphine didn’t touch hers. He crossed the kitchen in three strides and gathered her in his arms. Cosima appeared yet again in her mind, and she waved the girl away. Tom’s lips crushed against her own, and she winced. His kiss was hurried and needy where Cosima’s was patient and soft even when she was rushing.

Delphine felt the bristles of his beard against her chin and she entangled her hand in the shaggy hair at the back of his head. She was irritated to realize she had expected to find dreads. She put more effort into losing herself in _this_ kiss, but she kept finding herself lying on _that_ couch, her hands on _Cosima’s_ hips. When a tear ran down her cheek, Tom stopped.

“Is...something wrong, Delphine?” He asked apprehensively.

"Non, Tom, je- I’m fine.” She said, leaning once more into his strong arms and the force of his lips.

He returned her kiss with fervor. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and slide under her shirt. He lifted it above her head with a grace she didn’t know he had. He returned to the kiss, and she ran her hands over his abdomen, relishing the feel of his muscular torso under her fingers, but once again, finding that her fingers were expecting a different feeling. She tried to lose herself in the kiss, but every ghost of Tom’s fingers against her skin were Cosima’s. She put her hands against his strong chest, to anchor herself to the moment but Delphine couldn’t do it without feeling Cosima’s soft, supple breasts beneath her hands. Tom began to lead her to a door she assumed led into his bedroom. He moved the pair forward until the backs of Delphine’s knees touched the bed. He pushed her backward, and she landed on the bed. Pushing herself onto her elbows, she watched Tom take off his shirt, and she couldn’t help but want him. However, Cosima appeared to her again, and this time. Delphine couldn’t push her to the side.

“Tom, I-”

“Yes?” He asked, smiling at her wickedly as he began to undo the button of his jeans.

“I can’t.” She said, hoping she wouldn’t have to explain to him what she meant.

"You can’t _what,_ Delphine?” He asked, seeming hurt and irritated.

"Do...this. I just can’t Tom.” She said, sitting up and setting her face in her hands as she began to cry.

“Hey, don’t _cry_ , Delphine.” He said, rushing to sit next to her. He wrapped his arm around her and was silent for a moment. “Was I _really_ that bad?” He asked, hoping to take her mind off of whatever it was that had made her cry.

“Non, Tom… it- it wasn’t you. It’s not you.” She said. “I don’t know what I’m doing here."

“I thought you were here to have sex with an incredibly handsome man, but I was, apparently, wrong.” He said.

“Oh, shut up.” She said, punching him in the arm.

He left for a moment, and she didn’t have to wonder for long, as he returned with her shirt. Delphine realized then that it was _her_ shirt. She began to cry again.

“I’m gonna go make some coffee. Um, you can… you can stay here if you like, and you know, take a shower or whatever. I’ve got shirts and boxers in that dresser.” He said, gesturing to his left. “Just so you know I’ll probably be gone in the morning. It’s Saturday tomorrow, and I’m supposed to go to some comic convention with my brother. He uh, he’s not as cool and hot as I am. Sci-fi's his thing.” He finished rather awkwardly.

“Okay, Tom. Go make the coffee already, d’accord?” She said, and he jogged down the hall.

She got a pair of boxers and gathered the shirt from the bed, heading for the bathroom to shower. She had intended to bathe herself, but instead, she ended up lying on the shower floor, letting the warm water  fall against her skin while she repeated the same question in her head for twenty minutes: “What have I done?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm crying/laughing maniacally/ preparing to jump out of a window/ staring at my hands, muttering "What have I done?"
> 
>  
> 
> I'm feeling rather upset. DAMN IT DELPHINE!


	7. Forgiveness (Hopefully)

Cosima had spent the day in front of her TV, debating on whether or not to buy a new set of pillows for her couch because every time she disturbed them, the smell wafup from them. In the end, she only ended up going to the store for more ice cream.

_I don't know why I'm reacting like this. I've only known her for like... A week. Nothing even... Nothing even happened between us. I need to chill. Besides, she said she'd text, right?_

"Right…. But it's been all day!" Cosima cried out as she reached for a pillow to scream into and instead buried her face into the rough fabric and inhaled deeply. "I am a wreck." She said, resigned to spending the rest of her night on the emotional rollercoaster she had been riding all day. She needed a drink, and since Delphine wasn’t performing that night, Cosima felt confident that she wouldn’t run into the blonde looking the complete and total mess that she was. So, she grabbed some napkins, hopped in her car and headed to Tom’s.

When she got there, Tom was not behind the counter, as she was so used to. Instead, a young woman, about Cosima’s age and build was in his place. She looked none too happy about the situation, and when Cosima ordered “Just a beer, please.” the girl grumbled something about “That wanker Tom and the ditzy blonde what come in here and screwed up my night.”

“Uh, excuse me?” Cosima said, feeling the pit in her stomach return, full force. “What-what was that about the blonde? Was she.. you know like tall, willowy.... really, really beautiful?” She asked, not including Delphine’s being french, because that was a dead giveaway, and if the girl behind the counter was insinuating what she thought she was, Cosima would be heartbroken.

“Uh yeah, like, almost six feet tall, neck-length blonde- uhhh actually that’s her right there. With Tom.” she said, gesturing to the door, where Delphine and Tom were walking in.

_No._

Cosima felt her heart drop somewhere far below its original position. She grabbed her things and rushed out past Delphine and Tom, swallowing back tears all the way and hoping Delphine hadn’t noticed her.

Unfortunately, she had, “Cosima, wait!” the blonde called after her as she picked up speed on the walk/jog to her car.

Cosima felt a hand wrap around her forearm, “Cosima, trust me it- it isn’t what you think.” Delphine said.

“Yeah Delphine? See, the thing is, I thought I could trust you, and I did. Like when you said you’d text me, I tried not to worry too much when you didn't because I trusted that you 'had important stuff to do'.” Cosima said, choking back tears, “You never mentioned that stuff was Tom.”

“Cosima-”

“What do you want, Delphine?”

“I-You.”

“It’s too late for that, isn’t it?” she said as she got into her car and drove off, forcing herself not to look into the rearview.

* * *

 

The next day, Cosima awoke with an almost-empty bottle of tequila in hand and a dark, tequila-scented spot on her carpet where the difference between what she drank and what was left in the bottle had spilled in her sleep. A long groan, which she had not been expecting, escaped from somewhere deep inside her chest. Suddenly, her alarm began screaming profanities at her from her phone, which laid, half dead, on the couch.

Cosima shot up from the floor where she had fallen back asleep, “I’m up, I swear.” she said, hurriedly.

As she got ready for work, which was

_in thirty minutes, UGH._

The day before returned to her memory in painful flashes. Spending the whole day worrying _Was it something I said? Or did? Is she okay? Has she been kidnapped? Probably murdered. The one girl I feel a real connection with and she's dead now. She said she would text me, so why hasn’t she? Was she lying? I don’t understand?_ , Eating two whole pints of ice cream while crying over chick flicks, crying over everything in general, finding out what had really happened to Delphine. She spat out her toothpaste and wiped her eyes, which had begun to water, so she could do her eyeliner.

Throughout the day, she tried several times to convince herself that she didn't need Delphine, didn't want anything to do with her. They had only _kissed_ , after all, but every time she tried to forsake the other woman, she found she needed to excuse herself to the bathroom to cry. There was something about Delphine that made Cosima want to forgive everything, just for the chance to hold her one more time.

After work, Cosima thought she might have been more miserable than she was before she left her house. She supposed that was due to the fact that she had spent the whole day trying unsuccessfully to not think of the woman. (Every time she tried, she ended up flooded with her, as these things usually go.) She was grateful she had stocked up on wine and chocolate ice cream, and after getting changed into more comfortable clothing, she grabbed one container of each from her kitchen, even knowing she might well need more of each.

She had lost track of how many chick-flicks she had watched, but by the time she had finished the first bottle of wine, she heard a knock at the door.

"Go away!" she said as she hid herself underneath her big plush blanket.

It was Scott, her best friend since high school, and he would have none of that 'go away' nonsense. "Cosima, I'm coming in, so hush." The door was locked, though. So he'd need to convince her to open it for him.

"Why? Just leave me to _die_." She said, dragging out the last word, melodramatic as usual.

"Cos, when you spend the whole work day moping around and crying, I'm inclined to come check on you. Now open the door, I've got some pick-me-ups for you." He said, knowing that would reel her in.

Cosima got up from her place on the couch, blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and unlocked the door. She took what was in Scott's arms and closed the door once more.

"Cosima!" Scott yelled from the other side.

"Fine, Scott. Come in." She said as she reluctantly opened the door.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, Cosima found herself scooped into his arms.

"Okay, that's-that's quite enough." She said.

He let go of the brunette and replied with "Oookay! What are we watching?" As he made himself comfortable on the couch, Cosima still standing by the door.

_Leave it to Scott to come check up on me and save the night._

She walked over to him and looked through the 'pick-me-ups' he had been talking about. Some of her favorite movies (sci-fi, of course), and some pot.

"You know me so well." She said as she sat next to him and explained her plan to watch every chick flick ever made, although she had watched _The Notebook_ three times that day.

They sat in silence, eating their ice cream and drinking their wine, talking about the movie, and Delphine, once Cosima explained her predicament to her friend. Scott was filled with indignant rage on Cosima's behalf.

"I can't believe her! Doesn't she see how amazing you are?!" He said, drawing on his own feelings for Cosima. He had tried to pursue her when they were in high school and a not-yet-out Cosima had tried awkwardly to deflect his advances until she finally just told him.

"I dunno, Scott. I guess not." She replied, a sad look on her face and a bite of rich chocolate ice cream on her lips.

They continued like this until they fell asleep, sometime in the wee hours of the night.

* * *

 

The next morning, they were awakened by the sound of delicate knuckles rapping on Cosima's door.

"Cosima! Cosima, can you open the door? We need to talk." Delphine's melodic voice came through the door.

"You want me to deal with her?" Scott asked, groggy still from sleep and wine.

"No, Scott, I'd... actually prefer if you headed out." She told him and turned to the door. "There's nothing to talk about, Delphine."

"Please, Cosima. Just... let me explain." Delphine's voice had turned desperate and pleading.

Scott gathered his things and shoved past Delphine when Cosima opened the door.

"Who is...?"

"That's Scott, we've been friends since high school." Cosima said.

"Ahh... Look, Cosima, I'm-" Delphine started.

"Don't say you're sorry, Delphine." Cosima said.

"Um... Okay, I just want you to know, I didn't, erm, sleep with Tom." The blonde supplied awkwardly.

"Delphine! Just- wait what?" Cosima asked, not sure she had heard correctly.

"I did not have sex with Tom that night." Delphine said, turning a bright shade of scarlet.

"But you..."

"Went to the bar that night, with the intention of going home with Tom, oui." Delphine said, and, trying to get out the rest of her story before Cosima burst into tears, continued quickly.

"But, I couldn't do it. Every time I thought of doing anything with Tom, I thought of you. I could barely kiss him. I stayed at his house, because it was late, and I was drunk, but I just slept on his couch. We went to the bar together the next morning because he was giving me a ride and I was looking for you. Cosima, I was confused. I was startled by how I felt about you, and now I know I can't feel that way about anyone else. I don't know what this is, but I want to find out." She dropped to her knees in front of Cosima "I'm so sorry I hurt you, Cosima, and if you give me the chance, I swear, I'll spend every day trying to make it up to you. I think- Je pense que je t'aime."

"I'm sorry, apparently I've got this thing for, like um, jumping to ridiculous conclusions.... So..." Cosima started.

"What, Cosima? Please tell me."

"So... You didn't sleep with Tom?" She said.

"Is that all you took from my speech?!" Delphine groaned. "I worked on that practically all day yesterday." She said, her accent coming through in her words stronger than Cosima had ever heard it.

_Awwww, she's so desperate. Good. Ugh, it isn't good. I don't know._

"No," Cosima said as she took Delphine's hand, helped her up, and led the blonde to her bedroom, "If I'm correct, which I almost _always_ am. I also heard something about how 'you think you love me'?" She finished as she closed her bedroom door behind them. By the way Delphine turned an even deeper shade of scarlet than she had earlier, Cosima knew she was, indeed, correct.

Cosima put both of her hand on Delphine's shoulders and pushed, intending Delphine to fall back onto her bed, but the blonde did no such thing. Cosima got up on tiptoes and whispered in her ear, "Del, I'm gonna need you to fall back when I push you. Quit ruining the moment."

The tall blonde giggled and threw off her jacket.

"D'accord, try again." She said wryly, smirking at Cosima, even though she had to have been nervous about what was to come.

Cosima did as she was told, and when the blonde fell on the bed, she climbed on top of her and whispered in her ear once more. "I think I might love you, too." She said between open-mouthed kisses she placed down the column of Delphine's neck. "Now prepare for better sex than Tom could ever have given you."

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what's happening in the next chapter?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first attempt at writing smut of any sort so please keep that in mind and be gentle with me.

Delphine allowed herself to be pushed back against the bed. The words "now prepare for better sex than Tom could ever have given you" came out of Cosima's mouth and went straight to her core, awakening a hunger she had not been aware of.

Cosima kissed her then. She felt that even though this was a new experience, she had done it a thousand times before. Delphine felt Cosima part her lips with her tongue, and she kissed the brunette back with an intensity that was entirely foreign to her. She kissed Cosima voraciously for a few moments more, and then she began to feel wet kisses from her mouth, down the column of her neck, to her collarbone and back before Cosima tentatively began to unbutton her shirt.

"This is okay, right? I've been ready for this moment since I first laid eyes in you, but I don't want to rush you into something you're not ready for." Cosima said, voice heavy with arousal and eyes dark in a way that made Delphine extremely 'ready'.

" _Baise-moi_ , Cosima."

_Of course I'm ready, how could I not be, when you're looking at me like **that**?_

"We didn't spend too much time on slang in my French class, but I'm pretty sure that was a 'yes'. Am I right?" She said with a wry smile.

_Cheeky. That's why I like her._

Delphine leaned up and planted a long, hungry kiss on Cosima's lips to quiet her.

Cosima got the hint, and resumed her exploration of Delphine's body. Delphine felt Cosima's lips against the nape of her neck, sucking, biting. She also felt the accompanying pulses of electricity that went, one by one, straight to her center, serving only to make her increasingly wet. She was reminded of a thought the brunette had accidentally spoken aloud. 'I wish I really could electrify you.' Cosima had said.

_Well, you've done it now._

Cosima had just reached around Delphine's torso to unhook her bra when Delphine stopped her with hands on her shoulders.

_Surprisingly sculpted._

"Cosima, wait." She said, ignoring the flash of disappointment in Cosima's dark eyes. "How is it that I am the only one losing clothing?" She said through a smile.

Cosima looked immediately relieved. "Oh! I thought you were gonna ask me to stop or something. Sure, you've shown me yours so it's only fair that I show you mine."

_What?_

Delphine's confusion at the idiom must have registered on her face because Cosima added a hurried "I'll take off my clothes now," as she stood to pull her shirt over her head and undo her bra.

Delphine marveled in the smoothness of Cosima's pale skin, how toned she was, and especially -given her small stature- how curvy she was. She was definitely ready to see more of the other woman. She figured Cosima was as well, considering the brunette had been so enveloped in getting her undressed. So, one by one, they both removed all articles of clothing, until the only thing separating them was space. "Now lemme finish what I started, Blondie." Cosima said with a grin as she crawled back onto Delphine and ran her fingertips gently over all the skin she could reach.

Delphine felt goosebumps raise over every inch of her body, and whenever Cosima's fingers ghosted over a particularly sensitive place, she felt the shockwaves echoing deep into her core. A dull ache began in her fingertips, and as Cosima took one of her nipples into her mouth and another between her thumb and forefinger, the ache began to move quickly toward her center. When Cosima bit down, which Delphine had not been expecting, her breath hitched and her back arched involuntarily into Cosima's touch.

_It feels like I'm always drawn involuntarily into her_

Delphine's nerves felt hyper-alert; even the slightest touch from Cosima sent shocks all through her and made her clit throb.

"Cosima, _s'il_ -" she began, but Cosima was too quick for her, and replaced the words on her lips with her mouth.  

Delphine moved to do some exploring of her own, but almost as soon as she felt the curve of Cosima's breast under her fingertips, Cosima grabbed her wrist, breaking their impassioned kiss to say, "You'll get your turn, Delphine, but this is mine. Honestly, where are your manners?" Cosima winked and continued to kiss her, but this time, her lips were ravishing the blonde's breasts instead of her mouth. Cosima's hands were all over Delphine, and she thought that Cosima must have had a million of them.

Suddenly, the movement of said hands stopped altogether, and one of them moved to cover Delphine's mouth. Before she had time to wonder why Cosima had covered her mouth, her her hips bucked into the pressure of two fingers being inserted into her cunt and she moaned, loud enough for Cosima's neighbors on either side of them to hear even with a hand over her mouth. After the initial surprise wore off, Delphine registered Cosima's lips moving slowly down her torso and toward-

_Oh._

Delphine's breathing stopped altogether when she felt Cosima's first suckling kiss. With one hand entangled in the brunette's dreads, her other found purchase in her bedsheets, grabbing a handful and holding tightly. With each thrust of Cosima's fingers inside her, Delphine felt a clever tongue make a tight circle around her clit, and the blonde found herself gripping tighter and tighter as her climax rapidly approached.

_Mon dieu. Mon dieu. Mon dieu. Mon-_

" _Merde_ , Cosima!" She screamed as she came harder, perhaps, than she ever had before. Orgasm sending sharp jolt after sharp jolt through her body, she realized Cosima had carried out on her promise: she was sure that Tom would never have been able to do to her what Cosima had just done. Delphine was not sure how long they stayed like that, but when Cosima removed her finger, Delphine was surprised to hear her say, "Open your mouth." Confused, she obliged.

_Merde. If I.... Then.... how does she...?_

Before she knew it, Cosima reclaimed her finger.

"So, what's the verdict?" She asked, as she propped herself up on her shoulder.

"I want... To know how you taste." Delphine whispered, in reply.  

Cosima's eyes darkened, and Delphine knew she had never wanted something more.

They spent the rest of the day in Cosima's bed, where Delphine learned how to do all the things that had just driven her crazy. She realized that she was more of a learn-by-doing type of student, and she never enjoyed the learning process more.

 


	9. Chapter 9: Sickness

Cosima had fallen asleep, curled against Delphine, the blonde playing with her dreads, some time around seven or eight. She was surprised, in the morning, to find that Delphine was no longer in her original position.

Some general assessments of her surroundings reminded her that she'd had sex with Delphine  _several_   _times_ , only hours ago. The day before returned to her memory, but this time, it wasn't accompanied by pain.

 _Delphine,_ _at_ _my_ _door_ _,_ _apologizing_ _._

 _Delphine,_ _all_   _supple_   _curves_   _and_ _long_ _limbs_ _._

_Delphine,_ _in_ _my_ _bed_ _._

_Delphine,_   _screaming_ _my_ _name_ _._

No, this time, when she remembered the previous day, memories returned to her and she only wanted to seek out the blonde and relive them.

It was when she got up to stretch that she realized three things:

1\. She was very sick

2\. She was very naked

_Score_

3\. Her curtains were very open

Upon her last realization, Cosima scrambled for the nearest article of clothing. Luckily enough for her, it was her favorite T-shirt.

She had purchased it on the same day she got her dandelion tattoo. The two matched, but Cosima had long since forgotten whether she bought the shirt to match her tattoo or she got the tattoo because she liked the shirt so much.

She knew that her nakedness and the curtains being open were Delphine's doing, but Cosima wondered if her unforseen sickness was also because of her. She grabbed some boy shorts that, sadly, did not match her T-shirt and ventured out into the rest of her apartment to ask Delphine if she knew how she'd gotten sick.

"Delphine!" She called, her stuffy nose making the "n" in Delphine sound like a "d".

"I am in the kitchen, Cosima. Almost done. Why don't you go back to the room, I have a surprise for you," was the reply.

Cosima obliged, crawling back into her bed and drawing the blanket around her shoulders, suddenly very cold.

 _Great_ _, I_ _bet_   _I've_   _got_ _a fever._

A few minutes later, Delphine returned with a tray of food Cosima wasn't aware was in her kitchen.

"Earlier, I woke up  _très_   _chaud_  and when I realized you were also sniffling, I figured you had a fever, and were sick. So, I took the liberty of buying a few things to make you breakfast. I thought you'd appreciate a good meal; I can't tell when you last are something other than junkfood." Delphine said with a smile, and her statement was confirmed by a loud growl from Cosima's stomach.

"Wow, Ms. Cormier, you sure do know how to charm a girl, eh?" Cosima said, "Keeping me in bed all day, staying with me while I'm sick, cooking me breakfast,  _staying_   _with_   _me_   _while_   _I'm_   _sick_ , bet you've got some gourmet French cuisine on there, eh?"

" _Non_ , I didn't want to overwhelm you." Delphine said with a wink. "This is just eggs, bacon, and pancakes. And yes, I will stay with you while you are sick." She finished as she sat down next to Cosima. She handed Cosima her plate of food and began to eat her own.

"Merci," she said in a terrible accent, "It's just as well. The "French cuisine" I had yesterday was quite tasty." Cosima said as she leaned over to kiss Delphine on the cheek and the now-blushing blonde leaned away from her.

"No, no, no, Cosima. I want nothing to do with whatever it is you've got." Delphine laughed at Cosima's hurt expression.

Cosima retorted, "I know plenty girls who want  _exactly_  what I've got."

"Well maybe one of  _them_  got you sick." Delphine said, a tone in her voice Cosima did not recognize.

 _Is_   _she_   _jealous_ _?_ _Yeah_ _..._ _Totally_ _._

"Maybe it was Tom." Cosima said, cashing in on Delphine's jealousy, with an eyebrow raised and a wicked smile playing on her lips. Her joke was rewarded with a "Brat!" and an elbow in the ribcage that began a coughing fit.

"Ah!  _Désolée_ , Cosima."

"It's fine, I just choked a little when I was laughing and..." Her sentence broke off into more coughing, and she jogged into the kitchen to get some water.

When she returned, Delphine had almost finished her food, they sat in silence until they were both done.

"Delphine?"

" _Oui_?"

"About the fight yesterday-" Cosima began.

Delphine cut her off, "It wasn't a fight, Cosima. I was prepared for that, I knew you probably wanted to, but I'm glad you let me explain. It definitely ended better than any 'fight' I've ever been in."

"Oh, good. I...." She struggled to find the words she was looking for, "I dunno. I just feel like I never really got a chance to say I was sorry. I was an asshole."

"It's my fault though." Delphine said "if I had just been upfront with you, it would never have happened. I am the asshole"

"Let's stop talking about it, yeah? Have you ever been to the Pier?"

"The pier...  _La_   _jetée_? No, I have not."

"What!? The injustice ends today! Come on, mademoiselle, we're going to the beach."

* * *

They arrived at the beach soon after. At that time, it was a very clear day, for San Francisco weather. Cosima found that she didn't need the red coat she brought, and left it in the car.

The two walked along the beach for hours, talking about anything they thought of. To Cosima, everything felt right with Delphine. She felt like home. It was easy as breathing, cliche as that may be. She felt that she could tell Delphine anything, and she did.

 _Until_   _it_   _started_   _friggin'_   _ **raining**._

It was at this juncture that Delphine couldn't help but say "I told you that you should still have brought your coat" and Cosima couldn't help but flirt shamelessly with her en lieuof an actual response, "It's okay, Del, I've got your hotness to keep me warm." The blonde blushed, and wrapped an arm around her sick companion and they continued to walk in the direction of Delphine's car.

"Okay, I lied: you're really fucking hot, Delphine, and I mean  _really_  but it is not enough to keep me warm in this weather. We're gonna need to hurry this up." Cosima said, visibly shivering.

"Here, take my coat."

"I couldn't. You'll get sick too, you know,"

A beat.

"Okay, I could." She finished as she took the coat from Delphine's hands, just as lighting struck a tree not thirty feet away from them, leaving the tree split in half and smoking. Both women nearly jumped out of their skin. Suddenly, the rain started coming down a lot harder than it had just been.

"Merde. We should have known this would happen. Everything was going too well." Delphine said, and Cosima found herself swooning at everything the blonde did in that moment. The way she drew her wet hair away from her face, the way she pulled Cosima closer when the tree was struck, the way she lamented their wonderful stroll.

"Yeah. It's okay though. I'm fine as long as you're here."

 _I_   _am_   _so_   _whipped_ _,_ _dude_ _._

"It really is too bad it rained,  _chérie_ , I was going to play you a song on my guitar." The blonde said as they began to jog, their destination within yards.

 _Did_   _Delphine_ _..._ _write_   _me_   _a_   _song_ _?_ _I_   _must_   _have_   _died_   _and_   _gone_   _to_   _heaven_ _._

"What do you mean?" Cosima asked nonchalantly through chattering teeth, interest piqued.

" _Non_ , it is too late now! The "mood" for it has been, as you said yesterday, ruined." Delphine said, and Cosima could tell she was teasing her as they got in the car. "You'll just have to go to my performance at Tom's tomorrow."

"Not  _that_  guy. Why can't you just play me the song, Del?" Cosima whined, finally warm thanks to the heater in the car.

Several moments passed, Delphine apparently mulling over the question while she drove the short distance from the pier to Cosima's house.

As they pulled up to Cosima's apartment, Delphine parked and said, "I just can't. It won't be the same." She climbed out of the vehicle and started up the stairs.

"Are all the French this stubborn or is it just the tall, blonde ones with great asses?" Cosima called from a few steps down.

"It is our way, Cosima." Delphine said as she waited for the brunette to finish climbing and unlock the door.

* * *

And so, just like that, Cosima spent her third day in a row doing almost nothing but watching movies. This one however, was exponentially better than the last two.

With Delphine curled up in the blanket beside her, she felt like all was right in the world. Except for the moments when she would laugh too hard, or her drink was too cold, or any of the moments in between when she was thrown spontaneously into a fit of wracking coughs. Delphine was always quick to get her a lozenge from the bag Cosima had dragged out of her bathroom cupboard, which the smaller woman was thankful for.

They watched  _the_   _Notebook_  which Delphine had never seen before. (Cosima was shocked and appalled.) And Cosima found herself hoping, perhaps irrationally, that Delphine would be around long enough for her to tell the story of their love to her grandchildren.

 _Woah_ _,_ _I_   _want_   _kids_ _?!_

 _I_   _mean_ ,  _I_ _guess_ _ _.__ _.._ _Eventually_ _..._

 _Hopefully_   _with_   _Delphine_ _._

Cosima knew it was far too early to say that to Delphine, so she just cuddled closer to the blonde and giggled when her cuteness was met with red, teary eyes and Delphine asking "Why would you subject me to this... wonderful torture?"

"This, my dear,  _ma_   _ _chérie__ _ _,__ is the fine art of the American Romance Movie. This piece is entitled  _the_   _Notebook,_ otherwise known as  _Nicholas_   _Sparks_   _is_   _a_   _Maniacal_   _Genius_   _Who_   _Either_   _Really_ _Loves_ _or_   _Really_   _Hates_   _Women_. You either love it or hate it. I love it, but I'm a mess." Cosima explained.

"It would seem I'm..."

"What?"

"Searching for the English..." Delphine said absentmindedly, "It would seem I'm... just a touch away." Cosima saw her eyes light up and she was surprised to see the blonde jump up and run to get her purse.

"Delphine, what are... What are you doing?"

"Shhh, I have to write that down." She said frantically, "C'est un lyrique."

"Oh well, when you're done, let's finish this movie and then go to bed." Cosima said through another coughing fit, "I'm beat."

"It is a good thing I always keep extra clothing in my car."


	10. The Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter, which makes me v sad, but it is also a welcoming window into the land of opportunity! I will be writing more fic after this, I will keep shoving my mediocrity down your throats until the end of forever. (But, like, I really hope you guys are in the mood for some mediocrity rn)

Delphine woke very late the next day, (Cosima’s fault) probably some time around one or two in the afternoon. She was groggy and disoriented, but rather excited about her performance that night. And, admittedly, a tad nervous, because she still had yet to actually finish the song she was writing for the other woman. The French woman got out of bed as quietly as she could, but the dreadlocked lump curled into her side was still woken by the absence of her. A hand wrapped around her wrist as she rose.

“Hey, you, get back here.” She said, sleep heavily coating her voice and a lazy grin stretched across her lips.

“Shhh, _mon amour_ , go back to sleep.” Delphine said quietly.

Apparently, Cosima was not yet awake enough to argue because she put her head back down on the pillow and closed her eyes. Delphine planted a kiss on her forehead and went out of the room on tip-toes, grabbing her things as she went.

She did not want to leave Cosima’s apartment. It had already become like a second home to her, even with the limited time she had spent in it, with the limited amount of time she had even known Cosima. It occurred to Delphine that it was not the _apartment_ that felt like home, but rather its _owner_. That was a sweet thought, and she felt a smile creep up around her tired eyes.

Delphine planned to make the trip back to her own apartment as quick as she possibly could; not wanting to spend any time away from Cosima than she had to. She had already showered and applied her makeup, figuring she had about twenty minutes of preparation left before she could get back to Cosima, who Delphine hoped would be missing her as sorely as she missed the little brunette. However, her plans were quickly foiled when she heard a knock at the door.

_Merde._

“Delphine?” came the voice of her manager, “Open the door, I need your help.”

“Uh, _viens_ , Aldous. The door is open.” she called, having just popped her left foot out of the leg of her jeans.

“Delphine, I am a complete mess right now! I don’t know what to do. OhmyGod, what am I going to-” Aldous gasped, “What if they don’t like me? What if they make him stop seeing me?” He looked to be in hysterics, and Delphine wanted nothing more than to laugh at him.

“Aldous, I assume Henrik asked you to meet his parents, and I understand where your concern is coming from, but have you forgotten that you aren’t a 16-year-old anymore?” she grabbed his shoulders and looked at him sternly, “You’re thirty five years old, he’s thirty two. His parents can’t make him do anything, and in the end, it only matters that he likes you.”

“I suppose you’re right, but Del, what if he changes his mind?” he asked, looking more like a frightened boy than Delphine had ever seen him.

“Well then, fuck him.” Delphine said with a reassuring smile, “Now get out. I’ve got stuff to do. So, to return your hospitality: ‘I need you to get out, like five minutes ago.’”

“So you decided that you did like it then?” He asked, reading her anxiety to get him out the door as correctly as was possible.

She didn't say anything, but as she closed the door, her smile was all the answer he needed.

“I've been waiting for your bisexual awakening for a while, Del. It’s about time!”

Delphine laughed and shook her head, checking her watch, which read 4:13 and sitting at her table, she finished her song for Cosima before she went back to the brunette’s house to pick her up for the performance.

* * *

“Delphine, you already told me the performance was at Tom’s, I don’t understand what this stupid blindfold is for.” Cosima said, petulant as she allowed the blonde to lead her to her table. Cosima didn't know, couldn't know, that her table was front and center. She would be watching Delphine's show from almost directly below her. And on top of that, it was decorated beautifully, 

_Even if I do say so myself._

A hastily-purchased white tablecloth adorned the short table. A single candle stood in the middle of the table in front of a red rose and a little folder. Inside said folder was a note, which read "For you, Cosima. I have fallen further than I ever intended, but I don't intend to get up," and lyrics to all the songs Delphine would be performing that night, except for Cosima's song, which was a surprise, to go at the very end of the show. 

Delphine had primped and prepared, checked her reflection in the mirror probably a thousand times, but she still was nowhere near prepared for Cosima to see her. The brunette hadn't even seen her when she picked her up from her apartment. She had slipped a blindfold through her mailslot and said "Put this on, _cherie_." Luckily, Cosima had obeyed.

Now, as Delphine walked away from her little dreadlocked love after giving her explicit instructions not to take the blindfold off until she heard her walk away, her heart began to beat frighteningly fast. She was sure everyone could hear it; it sounded so loud to her own ears, she could only imagine what it sounded like to others. She hoped Cosima would like her surprise.  _  
_

Delphine had decided the night before to play the setlist that her and Cosima had created, and add Cosima's song to the end of it. She was thinking about how perfectly Just Like Heaven fit into the empty spaces in their relationship, and suddenly, Tom's voice drew her from her thoughts.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my good friend, whom you probably know about by now, Delphine Cormier!" Delphine could almost see Cosima flinching when Tom said "good friend" it brought a smile to her lips. 

_Alright, Cormier, let's do this._

she stepped onto the stage with the practiced grace and power of her stage persona. Her eyes were done in a smoky fashion tonight, which matched her outfit: black boots, blue jeans, maroon shirt, black leather jacket. She took said jacket off and laid it across the stool that was set in front of the microphone for her. 

"Uh, good-" she cleared her throat, her voice sounding far too apprehensive for her liking "good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'm gonna perform a few original songs and a few covers. Sing along if you know the cover songs." and then she put her guitar into position on her lap and strummed the first few chords of _Just Like Heaven,_ smiling down at Cosima the whole time.

* * *

"So, this next song- my last song, I'd like to dedicate to my... girlfriend? Uh, Cosima." she finished, pointing to the now violently blushing brunette in the front row. After her laughter subsided, Delphine handed Cosima the lyrics to the last song- _her song_ , and began to sing,

_You are a mess, babe_

_and I'm just a touch away_   
_and I just wanna try_

_playing with your hair babe_   
_like this isn't anything_   
_serious this time_

Because Delphine loved Cosima's hair, and could play with it for days, weeks perhaps. 

_crash into me, please_   
_'cause I'll give you everything_   
_honesty and more lies_

Lies Delphine felt terrible about, and would spend however long Cosima would give her trying to make up for.

_take a little more from me_   
_my scars, future, everything_   
_is yours to compromise_

Because Delphine didn't know where Cosima wanted to take this, but she was hoping it was very, very far into the future. 

_'cause I'm gonna love you like I want to_   
_I'm gonna love you like I need_   
_and everything else fades away now_   
_with your bones crashing into me_   
_it isn't a fight, but i know that you want to_   
_you wanted to fight it off but you see_   
_I'm drawing patterns into your chest now_   
_and falling in love with the way you speak_

Because Delphine didn't want to love Cosima any less than she did. Holding back was not an option for her. And when she was in the brunette's arms, that was the only sensation she knew. And for Cosima forgiving her, for not completely giving her up, like the cold turkey asshole Delphine had been so many times.  And for the way that Cosima spoke with such certainty and doubt at the same time. For the way her emotion tethered itself to her voice and her words like no one else's she had ever met. For the way her hands danced around every syllable. 

_you need love_   
_and I need love_   
_so let's just love the lies_   
_you need trust_   
_but I need us_   
_you know I couldn't fight it if I tried_

And she didn't want to try. Ever.

_my lipstick's on your hands_   
_as if I ever had a chance_   
_I'll commit when you say when_

Because every detail of the first night they met was seared into her brain, even the moment in which she kissed Cosima's hand in goodbye. Even the simplest of actions was somehow amplified when Cosima was involved _._ And she definitely didn't have a chance Cosima had taken over every bit of her- and Delphine wouldn't change it.

_but we both know we're running out of time_   
_tears stain your lantern eyes_   
_and red on your lips again_

Cosima's tears when she first showed up that night, fear running wild through her thoughts, she had been so afraid that she was too late.

_so it's all just waiting now_   
_like it'll siren through the sound_   
_and give us any warning_

Delphine wished that there had been a warning, at any point along the way, but there hadn't been, everything that'd happened between her and Cosima had completely knocked her off her feet and breathless.

_I should've known that sickness likes_   
_to put you were the lightning strikes_   
_just before it starts pouring_

She smiled as she sang about their walk along the pier, and Cosima's congested yelp as the tree had been split by the rogue electricity.

_but I'm gonna need you like the drugs_   
_god save us both, I'm not enough_   
_And I try to touch your skin to heal it,_   
_all it does is scar us_   
_but this isn't it, I want to know you_   
_28 to 89_   
_this damn disease will hate you now_   
_but I'm gonna love you all my life_

She knew she wasn't nearly enough. Cosima deserved so much more than Delphine, who had rushed at the opportunity to correct herself after that first night with Cosima, who had hurt her so deeply, and that Cosima had forgiven so readily. Delphine doubted the brunette had taken everything as lightly as she let on though. That there was still a seed of distrust growing in the brunette, spreading through her like a disease. She knew there was nothing she could do about it; anything she did to help would do the opposite, Cosima had to heal on her own. But she knew that as long as Cosima let her, she would stay. 

_you need love_   
_and I need love_   
_so let's just love the lies_   
_you need trust_   
_but I need us_   
_and you know I couldn't fight it if I tried_

_you need love_   
_and I need love_   
_so let's just love the lies_   
_and you need trust_   
_but I need us_   
_you know I couldn't fight it if I tried_

and she wouldn't try. Ever.

Delphine looked down at her audience, and even though so many people were sitting down there, she only saw one. Delphine looked into Cosima's eyes, and hoped, prayed, that what she saw there meant that she wouldn't try either. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... This was a little short. (I totally thought it was going to be longer! I swear, but I got to the end of the song and I just thought, "Wow that is a really nice ending and you know what if I hadn't written this, I would probably scream into my pillow about it." And then I proceeded to scream into my pillow about it. ) But! I will make up for it with endless more cophine (and other) fanfics.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment what you thought. Even if you didn't like it, I need the feedback, friends. If you did like it, tell me what was good so I can do more of it!


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